The task grew more complicated the longer they waited. But a month ago, they settled into a new single-family ranch in Vista Ridge, nine doors down from their two grandkids. The move required a single step, with every detail planned, down to having furniture in place with places to sit when they arrived through the front door.

The single step was contacting The Steller Group, a team of real estate brokers specializing in senior downsizing moves — including overcoming the physical demands of a later-in-life move.

“I’d moved a lot of times,” says Charles Pate, who had traveled the country as a petroleum engineer with Texaco.

Pate was worried about a dozen aspects of moving that would be daunting to an older couple: trips to visit listings, to sign documents, to a motel during the move, not counting packing and unpacking and getting rid of discards.

“What we didn’t know,” adds Pate, “is that there are real estate companies that will reach out to seniors.”

The first obstacle was finding a ranch close to the grandkids, in a market where homes were disappearing within days of being listed.

“The good news was they knew exactly where they wanted to be,” says Steller’s lead listing agent Blair Bryant, who met the Pates in June. The bad news was that sellers would be unlikely to give consideration to any deal involving a contingency.

Bill Dehmlow, a Steller buyer representative certified to represent seniors, set to work on a purchase, first arranging a bridge loan to give the couple some clout at the negotiating table before their house came on the market.

When a comparably priced ranch arrived on the market in Vista Ridge in July, Dehmlow had the Pates there the next morning. With the bridge loan in place, the sellers accepted a contract on what would basically be a cash deal, even though the Pates’ home was still being prepared to market.

After a seamless move without even a single night in a motel, the Pates now have grandkids so close that the kids walk five minutes to see them without crossing a major street.

The entire process, from first meeting to the move-in using one of Steller’s contractors, took three months (the Pates’ Highlands Ranch home sold in a weekend).

“Every time there were decisions to be made, everyone came to us,” recalls Charles Pate.

The Steller Group has a free seminar this Tuesday, 9:30-11 a.m., at Southglenn Library in Centennial, on “Understanding Senior Living Options” and “Steps for a Low-Stress, High-Yield Move” with information about assisted living options and how to maximize sale profits. See (http://www.stellerrealestate.com/oct-16-senior-living-options-blueprint-for-success). Also, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Villages at Belmar, on “Successful Estate Sales and Worry-Free Downsizing Services” and “Blueprint for Success: Steps for a Low-Stress, High-Yield Move.” See http://www.stellerrealestate.com/oct-30-estate-sales-blueprint-for-success-arvada)

The news and editorial staffs of The Denver Post had no role in this post’s preparation.

Mark Samuelson has written about housing, business and real estate for The Denver Post for more than 25 years. He is president of Samuelson and Associates, a communications company that specializes in builder marketing, real estate, and energy technologies.